Placing an avid reader (6yo) in CLE reading

[diaperjoys]

We're thinking about adding CLE reading to our curriculum lineup for our first grader. He's first grade, but reads at the 4th, early 5th grade level. Up till now I've just been happy that he is reading well, and I haven't done any type of reading comp with him. But I think it is time to change that.

 

Anyway, I'm thinking about placing him in 2nd grade CLE Reading. Does that sound about right? I'm afraid the 1st grade stories would be just too tedious. The written work in 2nd may be a little challenging, but we could just take it one page at a time.

 

Sound about right????

[Mommyfaithe]

I wouldn't put him in the 2nd. He is just too young and there is so much more to CLE reading than just reading. I think the 2nd grade might overwhelm him. My kids read @ 4...and are all reading very well by 6. The 1st book (Open Windows?? I think) is perfect for a 6 year old. Much of the reading is silent reading. The workbooks have lots of Phonics review so, if he has never had phonics there is a bit of a learning curve. My 7 year old was reading well, but never learned diacritical marks or phonetic spellings. I didn't want to confuse him, so, I skipped those lessons. I used those 5 light units and the reader to get him acclimated to to program.

 

This year @ 7 he started in 2nd grade and it is a perfect fit. He can read at a 5th or 6th grade "level" but he is still a 7 year old boy. The Light units are geared perfectly for his maturity level as are the stories in the books. There is just enough of a challenge to the LU work, that he is learning without frustration, tears or resistance. They are not twaddly or only "cat sat on the hat' type stories. My kids love these reader so much, they walk around with them...and even sleep with them sometimes.

 

~~Faithe

[FriedClams]

I have a 7 year old (turned in Oct) who was in the same situation at the beginning of the school year. He is a fabulous reader. He is extremely bright. And he was 6. I came to the conclusion that just because a kid is gifted/advanced/bright or whatever we call it, it doesn't mean he can't be a 6 year old. So I slacked off on "challenging" him this year - but only when it came to mounds of written work. He is doing the CLE reading 2 and the reading is super easy for him. He read his sister's CLE 3 book already, too, and I am sure could read through the books that go with 4, 5 and 6 and enjoy the stories. BUT - the beauty of CLE is that while the reading can be "easy" the exercises that go with the reading are completely grade appropriate if not a little challenging. There's so much more to the program than just reading the stories. In grade 2 there is a lot of phonics review - tough review - but we skip it. We didn't use their phonics to learn to read so much of the nomenclature is lost on us (and he reads so well we don't need it). The reading comp thinking questions are great for my boy and sometimes he's caught off guard by really having to think about a question. Most of its fun and reinforcing great character traits - but there is some thinking stuck in there!! It's really a great program and we'll be using it on grade level from now on. [And as an aside, there is a BIG step up in the writing required for Grade 3 Reading that was just too much for my 6/7 year old to deal with an still have fun in first grade. My bright 3rd grader LOVES the 3rd grade stuff.]

 

ETA - I would look closely at the Grade 1 versus 2 since the grade 1 may be a LOT of phonics in the "reading" subject which may or may not appeal to you.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Kayaking Mom

[MeAndTheBoys]

Don't know if you've looked at Pathway at all--your son is prob a lot like mine; he learned to read fairly easily and we didn't do much more than Explode the Code until this year (1st grade). We had done CLE Reading Grade 1 when he turned 5 (not the Learning to REad--the I Wonder) and it was okay. My concern was that it gets a bit pricey to buy all the workbooks--we love it for math, but adding a reading curriculum for him wasn't a necessity at the time.

 

So we did nothing until last summer when he was 6 1/2--and I added the Pathway Readers, grade 2. The stories are easy to read, but the workbook is VERY challenging! My son also reads on a 4th/5th grade level for fun, but the 2nd grade comp questions, making plurals, adding suffixes is right on his level.

 

Just another thought for an inexpensive reading program--my son made me order the 3rd grade set for him last week. We have one more book in the Pathway 2nd grade, which will last us about 2 months. I had intended to only use CLE 3rd Grade reading (I got a good deal on a used set) but he was so disappointed--we'll still use the CLE because it looks good, but it looks like we'll be doing Pathway as well. The workbooks cover a LOT and are easy for the student to do independently--

 

Betsy

 

We're thinking about adding CLE reading to our curriculum lineup for our first grader. He's first grade, but reads at the 4th, early 5th grade level. Up till now I've just been happy that he is reading well, and I haven't done any type of reading comp with him. But I think it is time to change that.

 

Anyway, I'm thinking about placing him in 2nd grade CLE Reading. Does that sound about right? I'm afraid the 1st grade stories would be just too tedious. The written work in 2nd may be a little challenging, but we could just take it one page at a time.

 

Sound about right????

[diaperjoys]

Just what I needed to know, thanks! I've ordered grade 1. I don't want to push my little guy ahead of what he's ready for, but neither do I want to shove him in the midst of something that is an agony of simplicity and will bore him to tears. Sounds like the comp. questions will balance the easy reading level. Thanks!

 

 

I wouldn't put him in the 2nd. He is just too young and there is so much more to CLE reading than just reading. I think the 2nd grade might overwhelm him. My kids read @ 4...and are all reading very well by 6. The 1st book (Open Windows?? I think) is perfect for a 6 year old. Much of the reading is silent reading. The workbooks have lots of Phonics review so, if he has never had phonics there is a bit of a learning curve. My 7 year old was reading well, but never learned diacritical marks or phonetic spellings. I didn't want to confuse him, so, I skipped those lessons. I used those 5 light units and the reader to get him acclimated to to program.

 

This year @ 7 he started in 2nd grade and it is a perfect fit. He can read at a 5th or 6th grade "level" but he is still a 7 year old boy. The Light units are geared perfectly for his maturity level as are the stories in the books. There is just enough of a challenge to the LU work, that he is learning without frustration, tears or resistance. They are not twaddly or only "cat sat on the hat' type stories. My kids love these reader so much, they walk around with them...and even sleep with them sometimes.

 

~~Faithe